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Bee'ah, Masdar ink JV deal for first UAE waste-to-energy plant

Sharjah project will initially treat more than 300,000 tonnes of municipal solid waste each year

By Staff writer

Thu 25 May 2017 06:36 PM

Bee’ah, the environmental management company, and Masdar, Abu Dhabi’s renewable energy company, have formally established a joint venture to develop waste-to-energy plants across the region, it was announced on Thursday.

Emirates Waste to Energy Company (EWEC) said the first project will be a multi-fuel waste-to-energy facility in Sharjah which will treat, within its first phase, more than 300,000 tonnes of municipal solid waste each year and have a power capacity of around 30 megawatts.

At present, the emirate diverts 70 percent of its waste away from landfill. With the completion of this new facility, Sharjah will soon become the first city in the Middle East to achieve the target of 100 percent diversion of waste from landfill, a statement said.

Bee’ah and Masdar said EWEC’s first project would leverage the strengths of both companies to pave the way for further waste-to-energy facilities in the UAE and the region, delivering commercial solutions to meet the challenge of solid waste disposal and the ever-growing demand for clean energy.

Dr Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, UAE Minister of Climate Change and Environment, said: “The Waste-to-Energy joint venture in Sharjah represents an important step in our endeavor towards sustainability and a bold and unconventional solution to address the increasing development challenges in a sustainable way to achieve the objectives of the National Agenda for UAE Vision 2021."

Salim Al Owais, chairman of Bee’ah, said: “Together with our strategic partner Masdar, we have set the ambitious goal of making the UAE a beacon for best environmental practices in the Middle East. We also intend to set an example to the world for how a country that has traditionally been heavily reliant on fossil fuels can embrace change and become a leader in green technology, through vision, determination and hard work.”

Mohamed Jameel Al Ramahi, CEO of Masdar, added: “Our first project together is set to make a vital contribution towards the UAE’s ambitious targets to significantly reduce the amount of waste which goes to landfill, as well as delivering clean energy to households across Sharjah."

A power purchase agreement has also been signed with Sharjah Electricity and Water Authority (SEWA).